Guard dog hit with sledgehammer during robbery

A man accused of robbing a Winnipeg automotive shop allegedly bashed a guard dog with a sledgehammer and then led police on a high-speed chase.

Police say officers arrived at the shop near the 400 block of Dawson Road north early Friday morning and found a man loading auto parts onto a stolen truck.

The suspect jumped in the truck and sped off through a residential area, ignoring numerous traffic lights, police said.

The suspect sped through a ditch and jumped over a set of rail tracks near Speers Road, at which time he fled on foot. He entered a business in the 500 block of Mission Street and attempted to hide from police.

He was arrested and taken into custody. Douglas James Sinclair, 34, is charged with several offences.